Machine for electric welding of dial feet onto dial plates



Jan. 20, 1948. J. SCHNEIDER Er I 2,434,814

MACHINE FOR ELECTRIC WELDING OF DIAL FEET ONTO DIAL PLATES Filed Feb.27, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l I J 'zj :25 IQ l L 55 F" W 2E L ...J a; 9LLZQZ-ZFJ 3 i 70 I 746 I e7, scfinez/qiez zmwggqwzg? 1948. J. SCHNEIDERETAL 3 4 MACHINE FOR ELECTRIC WELDING OF DIAL FEET ONTO DIAL PLATESFiled Feb. 27, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 V Patented Jan. 20, 1948 MACHINEFOR ELECTRIC WELDING OF DIAL FEET ONTO DIAL PLATES Jules Schneider andHans Schneider, La Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland Application February 27,1945, Serial No. 579,940 In Switzerland January 28, 1944 Section 1,Public Law 690, August 8, 1946. Patent expires January 28, 1964 3Claims.

The present invention refers to a machine for electric welding of dialfeet onto a dial plate. Thi machine is characterized by a table intended to receive the dial plate, and by two percussion electrodesintended to receive the feet to be welded onto the dial plate fixed onthe table, each electrode being adapted to be energlsed by means of anelectric condenser.

The attached drawing shows by way of example an embodiment of theinvention.

Fig. l is a partial elevation view.

Fig. 2 is a partial plan view corresponding to Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows the theoretical wiring diagram.

In the embodiment represented, the machine is intended for welding twofeet I onto a dial plate 2. The machine is mounted in a casing the upperplate 3 of which is partly represented. An aperture provided in thisplate and in the front wall gives access to the mechanism.

The dial plate 2 is carried by a clutch 4 e01 prising two clamps 5 andone release finger 6. This clutch is mounted on a horizontal shaft 1adapted to rotate in two bearings 8. The latter are arranged in twovertical columns 9 placed symmetrically in relation with the clutch 3and preferably provided with markings (not shown) indicating the twopositions occupied by the clutch when turned with the shaft '1, suchposi. tions being represented in full and dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The columns 9 are mounted rotatably in the upper plate 3 of the casingof the machine. A ring with a helical tooth sector H! and a worm screw Ila with milled head I I enable varying the angular setting of thesecolumns.

Two transverse arms [2 can slide in the lower part of the columns underthe control of an adjusting screw 13 which has also a milled head. Attheir end these arms carry a vertical sliding rod [4 insulatedelectrically from the mass of the machine and at the top of which isprovided a cylindrical chuck I la intended to receive a foot to bewelded onto the dial plate 2 This rod is hollow throughout its wholelength, and receives a control needle l5 of the chuck ensuring itsautomatic release as soon as the rod I4 is lowered, the needle l5engaging a fixed stop It.

The rods l4 carry a spring l8 bearing at one end on a ring I 9 dependentat the rod and on the other end on an adjustable stop permitting thetension of the spring to be varied.

The columns 9 carry a push-button 22 the lower end 2| of which acts on alever 23 bearing on the ring IQ of the rods l4 whereby they 2 may berestored to their initial position. A stop 24 cooperating with themovable armature 25 of an electro--magnet 26 retains the rod 14 in itsinitial position as long as the electro-magnet does not receive anycurrent.

The rods It are insulated from the mass and connected by a flexible lead2'! and a terminal block 28 to the electric circuit of the machine.

As shown on the theoretical wiring diagram of Fig. 3 the machinecontains also two variable condensers 29, two control keys forconnecting these condensers either to a current supply or to the piecesto be welded, a voltmeter V and a signal lamp L, a potentiometer 3|, arectifier 32 and a main switch 33.

The machine operates as follows:

The operator places the dial plate on the clutch 4, on which it ismaintained by the clamps 5. Then the operator turns the clutch into itslower position represented in dotted lines, after having set a foot I tobe welded into each one of the cylindrical chucks Ma.

The stop 20 is adjustable, so as to enable proportioning the tension ofthe spring to the size of the foot to be welded. The potentiometer isadjusted by observing the voltmeter V and by choosing the tension, aswell as the capacity of the variable condensers 29, according to thesize of the pieces to be welded. The condensers are loaded in theinitial position of the machine.

For welding the two feet I onto the dial plate 2, both keys 3!! arepressed. The loaded condensers are at once connected to the dial plate,on one hand, and to each one of the feet to be welded, on the otherhand. Immediately afterwards, the electro-magnets 26 are energisedactuating the armature 25 and releasing the rods M, which rise under theaction of their spring l8.

The feet I are applied onto the dial plate and the discharge spark weldsthem instantaneously and very neatly.

The operator then presses the push-buttons 22 in order to depress therods l4 into their initial position and reloads the machine for the nextcycle of operations.

Optionally, the clutch can be mounted on two slides at right angle.Similarly, the rod or rods M can be mounted on a fixed support, or on asupport movable on two slides at right angle.

What we claim is:

1. In a machine for electric welding of dial feet onto a dial plate,comprising a work-table carrying a dial plate holder and mounted on themachine frame, two axially slidable electrodes placed at right angles tothe plane of the worktable and carrying at their near end a dial footcheck, and two condensers with change-over switch for successiveconnection first with a current supply and then with the work-table andthe respective electrode, the special feature that the work-table ismounted rotatively on a shaft placed at right angles to the axes of theelectrodes, and that the rotation of the table is limited to oneturn-over of 180 degrees.

2. In a machine for electric welding of dial feet onto a dial plate,comprising a work-table carrying a dial plate holder and mounted on themachine frame, two axially slidable electrodes placed at right angles tothe plane'of the worktable and carrying at their near end a dial footchuck, and two condensers with change-over switch for successiveconnection first with acurrent supply and then with the work-table andthe respective electrode, the special feature that the electrodespresent a shoulder held up on the armature of an electromagnet againstthe action of a percussion spring of the electrode, the lattercontaining a chuck release needle abutting ona fixed stop at its far endwhen said electrode is reset after percussion.

3. In a machine for electric welding of dial feet onto a dial plate,comprising a work-table carrying a dial plate 'holder and mounted on themachine frame, two axially slidable electrodes placed at right angles tothe plane of the worktable and carrying at their near end a dial footchuck, and two condensers with change-over switch for successiveconnection first with a current supply and then with the work-table andthe respective electrode, the special feature that the electrodes aremounted on a support adapted to slide at right angles with theelectrodes and to "rotate around an axle parallel with said electrodes,whereby the latter can be moved transversely and longitudinally in aplane at right angles with the electrodes.

JULES SCHNEIDER. HANS SCHNEIDER.

REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

